TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - You've likely seen and heard Good Morning America's Amy Robach's emotional announcement that a live on-air mammogram, meant to inspire others to get the procedure, led to her own breast cancer diagnosis.

Now, a Tucson breast cancer survivor is speaking out about the procedure's importance.

Doctors first diagnosed Lanita Price last year, " the thought of dying never crossed my mind. I did think about how chemo would impact me. Was I going to lose my hair?" Price told 9OYS.

Price says her first thought was her husband, who lost his first wife to cancer in 2004.

"I immediately thought when I heard the news, 'how I am going to tell him, you're going through this again. You've got another wife that you have to deal with the same struggle all over again,'" Price continued.

Price's story is shared among the nearly 300,000 Americans diagnosed with new cases of breast cancer each year.

University of Arizona oncologists estimate they diagnose 700-800 new breast cancer cases each year.

"Most patients who are found to have breast cancer don't have any risk factors for developing cancer, other than they're a woman," Director of Breast Surgeon Oncology at the U of A, Dr. Michele Ley said.

According to Dr. Ley, early detection through mammograms has increased breast cancer survival by 20 percent.

"You are the captain of your own body. You can look at this body as a ship and it's going to be steered in the direction that you take it, based on the things that you do to take care of it," Price added.

Price is now cancer free. Today, she is committed to mammogram awareness, the preventative procedure both Price and Robach say saved their lives.

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